Date: Mon, 02 Oct 2000 23:10:45 +0000 From: Angel1313@att.net Subject: Devotion ch.13 Devotion Chapter Thirteen: Secrets and Lies disclaimer: I don't know *NSYNC. I don't know *NSYNC. I don't know if *NSYNC is gay. Thanks to all those who've sent me feedback. I love feedback! Please feel free to send me some more! -Angel1313 ^_^ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chapter Thirteen: Secrets and Lies "So," Lance said, sitting down at the table across from his bandmate. "How was your night, Chris?" Winking, he added, "I mean, you *do* have that big ol' bed all to yourself." Chris laughed. "We all came back together, remember? But I did meet a girl last night. She was really nice, but she's got a day job here, and a real relationship between the two of us would never work." Lance sighed before taking a sip of his coffee. "Yeah, I know. I met a girl last night, too." Chris immediately looked up. "Really?" he asked, clearly surprised. Lance looked hurt, so he quickly explained, "I only said that because you've been so quiet lately. I didn't mean it as in I don't think that you could get a girl." Lance let out a small, melancholy laugh. "I know, it's all right, Chris. I *have* been down a bit lately." "How come?" the twenty-eight year-old prodded. "Well," Lance began, but he trailed off, his gaze wandering to Joey's bed. "I've been having some difficulties with a different relationship." Chris raised his eyebrows, following the younger man's line of sight. "Joey?" he questioned. Lance nodded. "You don't seem surprised." Chris laughed. "Hey, unlike *some* people," he jerked his head in the direction of JC and Justin's room. "Joey tells me when he's in a relationship. Which, of course, is rare." It was Lance's turn to be surprise. "So he called what we have a `relationship'?" Lance pondered the thought for a moment. "That's about the last thing I'd expect from him." "Naw, he cares a lot about you, Scoop," Chris assured his friend. "There's nothing to worry about in that department." "I know, but-" Lance began, but he was cut off by Joey, who ran into the room at full speed. "Guys!" He exclaimed, out of breath. "You'll never believe what I just saw!" "That must have been *some* aspirin!" Chris laughed. "Oh, I forgot about that," Joey muttered. Shaking his head, he looked back at his two bandmates and announced, "Well, it doesn't matter! I found something much more important then aspirin!" "And what would that be?" A voice at the door questioned. Everyone turned to see Justin standing in the doorway. "Um," Joey stuttered. "Two dollars on the ground! How cool is that!" Lance looked at the New Yorker sharply. /It had been about Justin, hadn't it?/ he concluded, seeing the way Joey clamed up when the younger man came in. "I hope you still want the aspirin, Joe," Justin continued. "'Cause I went through all the trouble of bringing it back over here." "Where's JC?" Joey asked quickly. Seeing how everyone was looking at him strangely, he added, "Um, because I know that he had a really bad hangover, and I was wondering if, uh, he was all right." Justin smiled. "He's doing much better, believe me." Joey gave Justin a knowing look, but Lance and Chris just shrugged. "That's good," Chris said, turning back to his coffee. "Say, how was your night, Curly?" Justin's face quickly lost its smile. "Which part, the `I get to sit alone at the bar and drink flat cokes' part or the `Josh gets so drunk he hardly recognizes me' part?" he shot back sarcastically. "So you didn't meet any women?" Joey asked, before adding sympathetically. "That must've really sucked." The nineteen year-old turned to Joey in anger. "I wasn't *trying* to meet any women." Suddenly Joey remembered what he had witnessed only a few moments before. "Oh, of course not," he laughed. "How stupid of me!" Everyone turned to the red-head. Justin's eyes narrowed dangerously, but he didn't say anything as Joey didn't really seem like he was trying to be sarcastic. "Why was that stupid of you, Joe?" Chris asked, genuinely confused. "Because Justin's not interested," Joey responded seriously. "He already has someone." "Really?" Lance asked, surprised. "Who?" "How long has it been going on?" Chris added. Justin looked at Joey strangely. "I don't know what you're talking about." "Well," Joey began, but there was a light knock on the door. "Hello?" a familiar voice called. JC poked his head in the room. "Mind if I come in?" "Well," Joey began again as JC entered the room and closed the door softly behind himself. "Speak of the devil." "What?" Justin asked irritably. Then it hit him. He didn't know how, but Joey knew. "How could you possibly-" Justin whispered, but he stopped himself. /Maybe Joey *doesn't* know,/ the blonde thought hopefully. /Maybe-/ Justin's thoughts were interrupted by JC. "So, when do we have to get to the dance studio?" he asked, directing his question to Lance. "Two," Lance replied. Getting up he turned to the brunette. "Coffee?" he offered. "Actually," JC responded, pausing a moment to smile at Justin. "Justin and I were thinking about going out and getting something." /We were?/ Justin thought to himself. As he returned JC's smile, he began to get more excited. /Maybe he's going to ask me out, and we're going to become a real couple!/ "Yeah, we're going to go catch a bite to eat, so we'll meet you back here around one," Justin stated, before turning and heading to the door. "If we're running late, we'll call you and then just meet at the studio." "See ya later," JC called as he and Justin exited the room. "Have fun," Joey called back. Once the door was closed he turned back to his other two bandmates. "Guys," he stated seriously. "I think I finally figured out what you two were talking about earlier." Chris and Lance exchanged glances. "Oh, really," Chris replied. "And just what do you mean by that?" "Gentlemen," Joey began, sitting down on the counter. "This may take a while." "So you saw them *kissing*?!" Lance exclaimed when Joey was finished. Joey nodded. "'Bout time," Chris stated, a satisfied smile on his face. After a moment, he added, "But ya know, it's not as if they don't kiss all the time." "Yeah, but this was on the lips," Joey defended. "*Twice!*" "This is what I was trying to talk about earlier," Lance complained. "But no one would listen to me." "You didn't have a juicy story," Chris explained. "Yes I did!" Lance argued. "Remember the movie thing?" "Oh yeah," Chris muttered, defeated. "I guess the only thing that was holding us back was the fact that somehow Joey hadn't seen it." Chris laughed as he added, "Although I don't know how he managed *not* to." "I guess I was just so used to it that it never struck me as strange that they'd be all cuddly and stuff," Joey speculated. "So what do we do now?" Lance wondered aloud. "I mean, what if they *do* become a couple?" "We act the exact same way we did before they made it official," Chris answered. Laughing, he added, "You can bet *they* will." Lance smiled. "I guess you're right." Joey threw his arm around the younger man. "Yep," he agreed. "We'll support them all the way." "Good," Chris stated, nodding in approval. He then glanced at his watch. Noon. "Now then...what do we want to do for two hours?" Lance and Joey looked at each other. "Swimming!" Joey exclaimed. "Naw, too many people will be there," Lance argued. "Let's do some shopping." "Oh, yeah, Scoop," Joey retorted sarcastically. "Like there'll be less people shopping in downtown New York!" "Shut-up, Joe," Lance laughed. "When did *you* get so smart?" "How about we just hang out?" Chris suggested. "We'll be worn out enough after boot camp with Darren, there's no need to do any strenuous activity before hand." "Shopping? Strenuous?" Lance mocked Chris. "You really *are* an old man!" "And don't you forget it, sonny," Chris replied in his best "crotchety old geezer" voice. Lance and Joey laughed as they moved to settle down in front of the TV. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Well, not that much going on as of yet, but don't worry. JC and Justin will have a bigger part next chapter. And don't think I'm going to forget about the whole swimming thing! More fun is on the way, but I'd really appreciate any suggestions...I'm having a bit of writer's block >.< at the moment, so it'd be greatly appreciated! Thanks!!